How much worse does induction really hurt?!?

[Nic1107]

Had my first internal exam after my ultrasound today, and the nurse told me that baby hasn't really dropped yet (she's gone back up for some reason, must have my sense of direction...) and my cervix hasn't even softened, much less dilated! Argh! My doctor said that if I don't go into labour naturally before my next appt. on Monday, we'll talk about inducing next week. Since at my first ultrasound I was too far along for a dating scan, she doesn't want to let me go much overdue because we're not definite on gestational age. Sooooo.... I'm gonna have my baby next week! Wheeee!!!!!

I am honestly afraid of induction though because they say it hurts a lot worse... any ladies here make it through an induction without an epidural? I need reassurance that I'll be able to handle it!!

 

[sm1x09x]

I was induced with 2 of mine and the first one I had an epidural with mainly because I was scared lol I had my last one with just gas and air and it was one of my best labours and births (ot of 5!). Labour hurts whether it's induced or not, I just think with an induction there's sometimes not the same build up to contractions as you would get with a natural labour but the only thing I can say with any labour is relax, relax, relax! Hope it all goes well for you and baby is here safe and sound very soon x

 

[honeygrl]

It seems like it throws you right into the hardcore stuff from the start. I would not have had the energy left to push without the epidural. No reason to feel bad getting the epi though if you need it. My son was born into a room filled with laughter and no pain. Took only 7 1/2 hours for the whole thing. I think the epidural was the best thing ever invented.

 

[nov_mum]

I was induced at 35 weeks for PET so cervix was no where near ready. I had Gel at night and felt nothing, then some again in the morning. I had some period type pains for a few hours then got more uncomfortable and was finding it like bad period pain. Waters popped and within 2 3/4hrs I had my wee boy with only TENS machine and Gas. Was very anti Epidural and pleased I didn't have it. In saying that, had I had IV drugs to induce I may have felt differently as I hear that hurts even more. PET gives you hard and fast births though so I don't know if it would be that different???

 

[sm1x09x]

I was induced with a pessary the first time and then the second time just my waters broken and a drip put up.

 

[abbysbaby]

ill be getin an induction and i aint allowed an epi so god nos what its gonna be like. il just have to bare pain then ahhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[KarenLV]

I had induction due to my water that broke a month early and risk of infection. I also had epidural,so delivery was easy as pie!

 

[abbysbaby]

Pessaries
Intravaginal prostaglandin, in the form of a waxy pessary or gel, is often placed in the vagina using a slimline applicator. This is done to help soften the cervix, so that it can open up and start the contractions going. For some women, one pessary does the trick, but others may need to have several. However, it doesn't work for everyone and another method may be needed.

After you've been given the pessary, the heartbeat of your baby will be monitored for a while to ensure he's not affected by the induction. Although it's an artificial way of bringing labour on, once this is done your labour experience should be relatively similar to how it would normally have been.


Breaking The Waters
If your waters haven't broken naturally, it's possible for the midwife to help them on their way. A long thin hook-like instrument is inserted and the bag of water can be gently opened, starting labour off. It doesn't always work in every case, especially if the cervix isn't already open, but if it does it can start off quite strong contractions. Thankfully, this method doesn't usually hurt and the experience of labour is similar to how it would be if it had started of its own accord.


Syntocinon Drip
Syntocinon contains an artificial form of oxtyocin, the hormone which helps your womb contract. The drip is put into your arm and gradually releases oxtyocin, mimicking the way in which it would have been produced if labour had started naturally.

If you're induced in this way, it can produce a different kind of labour experience. Many women find that syntocinon can cause contractions to become very strong and difficult to cope with. The baby's heartbeat needs to be monitored constantly, because of the strength of the contractions. Syntocinon is often used alongside the manual breaking of the waters, with the drip in place ready for when the waters have been broken.

 

[graciebaby]

I was induced at 10 days overdue with my first. I went in at 10 pm and hooked me on the monitors for an hour and i was having string braxton hicks, then at 11 they gave me a pessary. Baby had turned back to back so i knew i was gonna have back labour and within half an hour i started getting really bad back ache, couldnt sit down or anything.

I'm not gonna lie to you my birth was horrible and i got through it all with just gas and air. I had my baby on day 13 with the help of suction as i wasn't progressing, i had the drip and everything but did nothing. They were gonna do a c-section but wanted to try suction first. It fell off first attempt and they ended up taking skin off her head which i had to put dressings on for 10 days after she was born.

Not all inductions are like this tho hun, and i wouldnt have wanted anyone to lie to me and tell me it was gonna be easy. I said i wasn't gonna have another baby after that but here i am again.

 

[bexxie]

No difference pain wise hun
xx

 

[mummy0704]

i was induced with my second pain was no different to first and i just had gas and air with both x x dont worry x x

 

[hattiehippo]

I think it depends what intervnentions you end up with. I was induced due to high bp and went on to develop severe pre eclampsia. I started with 2 pessaries which were fine but once the pre eclampsia came on had my waters broken which hurt like hell and the contraction drip which wasn't nice towards the end when the epidural stopped working.

If you just have the pessaries/gel and then that triggers labour then you probably won't have that different an experience to a 'natural' labour but its worth thinking about how you might cope if you end up with other things as well which are (in my expeerience) more painful and difficult to deal with.

 

[diane60f]

Good question! I'm being induced and the title I'd this thread scared me! Lol

 

[purpledaisy2]

I dont know if its anymore painful but if you end up having the drip it kinda throws you in at the deepend.

I had 2 lots of the gel over 24 hours, then had my waters broken and I didn't get any pains at all. An hour after the drip I went from nothing to contractions every 2 minutes.

I had a shot of diamorphine early on and then just carried on with g&a ( turned down another injection it made me feel really whoozy i hated it )

Good luck anyway hun x

 

[Nic1107]

Thank you ladies soooo much for reminding me of the pessaries (they'd been mentioned at the hospital but I'd completely forgotten about it)- I will definitely talk to my doctor about giving me gel to open my stubborn cervix and seeing if I go into labour then! It was the pitocin drip I was afraid of, I don't really want to be thrown right into the intense parts! Fingers crossed that the gel works, I feel a lot less worried now!

 

[chocaholic]

I had the drip, contractions started within the hour and were very strong and frequent, but he was born 4 hours later, I had diamorphine (which I hated) and then gas and air x

 

[Kota]

hehehe, while its still so fresh in the mind! (last night!!)
I had the pessery inserted at 12midday, 6pm was eating diner with my husband at the nandos next to the hospital!
by 9pm my waters broke naturally, 11pm i was 2cm, 3am - 6cms, baby born at 5.10am this morning,
I was lucky, all it took for my body to get going was the original pessery, however I actually woke up that morning of the induction feeling crampy for the first time so I wonder if I was 'ready' for labour anyway.,

I won't like.. it hurt like HELL... and at 3cms dialted i was getting contractions every 2-3mins lasting 45-50secs with NO idea how I was going to cope with the rest of the night..

My lifesaver was the bath/pool and gas/air, I managed to get through it on these alone, but even the MW said that it was very quick for a first labour...

 

[Nic1107]

That is fast, but that's really encouraging (well except the "hurt like hell" part, lol)! I think my kid knows what she's supposed to be doing, but my cervix is stupid. It's not even effacing... argh! I've been having mild contractions a few times a day and some cramping, but my damn cervix is sitting there all oblivious.

 

[poppy666]

I was induced with my first son via the drip and found that to be painful because the contractions started pretty much within the hour and were very strong there didnt seem to be a gradual build up with pain of contractions.

2nd son also induced they broke my water with this long needle with a hook on the end, if im honest didnt like this labour because one he was 2wks early and small so didnt help much and it was a very dry labour

3rd son i was given a sweep and told if nothing happened over the weekend i had to go in first thing Monday morning to be induced, thankfully that evening i went into labour on my own and was the best labour and less painful than my prior two sons

4th son on its way after a gap of 17yrs and im hoping i start on my own and actually experience the whole natural delivery this time